Coates’ work as an artist often uses ritual to offer insights into unresolved questions in society. His interest lies in how art can actively explore and answer valuable questions. Grizedale Arts’ approach, as demonstrated in their recent display at the Frieze Art Fair, sets out to ‘reconnect with the role of artists pre 1850, when arts practice in the UK diverged from its link to functionality and moved toward a self-referential culture, characterised by the making of art for art’s sake’.

As well as being a useful entity in itself, the exhibition reflected on a significant shift in artists’ practice in recent years towards an activity whose primary concern is not one solely of aesthetic sensibility and the production of esoteric artefacts for the art market, but of a purposeful practicality; an attempt to create a relevance and genuinely useful role for art, culture and artistic activity in society.

“NOW I GOTTA REASON” showcased artists who place themselves within communities as enablers, adding creative solutions, answering questions and creating sustainable and valued projects. The participants came together to jointly create a series of architectural wooden structures, housing activity which will happen during the exhibition including artist critiques and participatory events as well as active installations.

The exhibition content and events programme built and developed over the course of the exhibition, exploring the activity and economy of exhibition making and systems of use value and exchange. The galleries were turned into practical and usable spaces where the audience could participate, both as contributor and recipient.

The exhibition included:

Honest Shop - Endless Supply's Honest Shop offered both a sales place and a shopping experience. Visitors could sell their own handmade useful items and/or buy other peoples.

Library – Visitors could contribute to an onsite library with books that they felt would be useful to other readers. The library was built up from contributions by the participants and the public.

Lunch Club – Visitors could join the communal lunch; an opportunity to eat with exhibition participants, which took place every week day between 1-2pm.

Print Shop - An Endless Supply worked in the gallery two days per week to produce online and print flyer/poster material for exhibition participants and visitors.

Life Tutorials – Participants brought life questions to artist Marcus Coates as part of a Life Tutorial which took place every Monday afternoon during the exhibition.

“NOW I GOTTA REASON” was a Jerwood Encounters exhibition from Jerwood Visual Arts. Jerwood Encounters aims to support emerging artists, curators, designers and makers to progress their practice, gain exposure and benefit from new commissioning and exhibition opportunities. Through the Encounters programme, Jerwood Visual Arts looks to identify, nurture and champion talented individuals whose practice has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to a thriving sector and artistic community.

“NOW I GOTTA REASON” was open from 7 November – 9 December 2012 at Jerwood Visual Arts at Jerwood Space, London.